1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a unit dose package having a unique lock and release mechanism that prevents a sliding card from being unintentionally disengaged from an outer sleeve, wherein the unit dose package provides a user with access to the solid articles or products contained in the sliding card.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common practice to use blister packages to package small solid articles or products which may be dispensed from the package by applying pressure to the blister to force the article or product from an individual blister or capsule through a rupturable membrane. Since this type of packaging is typically used for marketing medicines, the invention will be referred to herein with respect to a package particularly suitable for such use, but it should be understood that the package may be used for other products as well. Recently, a substantial effort has been directed toward providing packaging that contains sufficient impediments to prevent children from easily opening the package and gaining access to the package articles or products while still providing adults with easy access to articles or products contained therein.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,410 to Seeley discloses a tamperproof reclosable sliding panel blister package 15 having a panel 17 and blister enclosure 19. The panel 17 includes a stationary back portion 23 and a working front portion 25. Half moon cut outs 26 and a crease 27 are provided in the stationary back portion 23 while a crease 29 and a sliding panel 31 are provided in the working front portion 25. The blister enclosure 19 is attached to the stationary back portion 23 of the panel 17.
A user withdraws the sliding panel 31 by bending rearwardly extending tab portion 51, which causes the creases 27 and 29 to function as hinges. To perform initial flexing, the user pushes tab portion 51 away from the stationary back portion 23 by passing a finger 53 through the cut out 26, thereby drawing the slide panel 31 outwardly. By drawing the slide panel 31 further outward, a port 34 formed in the stationary back portion 23 is exposed to permit the contents of the blister enclosure 19 to pass therethrough. Seeley discloses a tamperproof package that requires a substantial amount of dexterity on the part of the user, which may render the package difficult to open for the elderly.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,010 to Rosenburg, Jr. discloses a safety carton having a cut out lock. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4-5, the carton includes a base 10 that slides within sleeve 20, which includes a central longitudinal opening 30 that overlaps a cut away 31. The cut away 31 in panel 26 of the sleeve 20 forms retaining straps 32, 33 such that when the slidable base 10 is positioned within the sleeve 20, the straps 32 and 33 lock the base 10 therein. See FIG. 3. To remove the base 10, a user deflects one of the straps 32 or 33 with an index finger in a direction indicated by arrow b while simultaneously pushing the base 10 upward in a direction indicated by arrow a through the opening 30 and cut away 31. See FIG. 5.
In yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,400 to Kotyuk discloses a pill package having means for access that are basically hidden from view when the package is closed or locked. For example, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-10 show a sliding blister card 10 provided within a sleeve 12 wherein a tab 20 is locked by shoulders 38 of the shield 12 that engage notches 40 in the tab 20. See FIG. 4 for an enlarged view. The tab 20 has two arms that are biased toward each other in order to disengage or unlock the card 10 from the shield 12. FIGS. 1-5 show the tabs 20 in the front or back ends of the package while FIGS. 6-10 show the tabs 20′ can be positioned on the sides as well. The embodiments appear to be otherwise similar in structure.
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 11-16 provides a rail 59 on an inner top panel 56 that extends inward toward the slide card 50. The card 50 has a track 60 that engages the rail 59. To disengage the rail 59 from the track 60, a user must squeeze the sides of the of the package as shown by the arrows 76 in FIG. 15. Another embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 17-26 provides a U-shaped track 92 with tabs 112 extending from the ends of each leg. The tabs 112 lockingly engage openings 114 in the slide card 90. As shown in FIG. 22, to disengage the tabs 112 from the openings 114, a user must twist the card 90 in a clockwise manner.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,291 to Sledge discloses a tablet dispenser having a button 56, 656, 756 of a slide card 26, 626, 726 pointing away from the card and upward toward an outer sleeve 12, 612, 712 to enter a relief zone 22, 622, 720 formed in the sleeve 12, 612, 712. The relief zone 22, 622, 720 is either another button configured to engage a button 56, 656, 756 of the slide card 26, 626, 726 or is an aperture or hole through which the button 56, 656, 756 extends. To disengage the card 26, 626, 726 from the sleeve 12, 612, 712 a user must either depress the button (if there is one) of the sleeve 12 or simply push the button 56, 656, 756 of the slide card if the relief zone 22, 622, 720 is simply an aperture.
In yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,829 to Johnstone et al. discloses a unit dose package 150 having an outer sleeve 2 and inner slide card 100. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the outer sleeve 2 has extension panels 4 and 8. Extension panel 4 is folded over and adhesively attached to extension panel 8. Extension panel 8 is then folded over side panel 10. As shown in FIGS. 6-9, the inner slide card 100 has an extension panel 106 that is folded over side panel 102.
Once fully assembled, a user can pull the inner slide card 100 within the outer sleeve 50 formed by the outer sleeve blank 2 until the extension 106 of the inner slide card 100 is caught and retained by the folded extension panels 4 and 8 of the outer sleeve 50. Folded extension panels 4 and 8 of the outer sleeve 50 and extension panel 106 of the inner slide card 100, which form part of the locking means of the Johnstone et al. unit dose package, prevent the inner slide card from being completely removed from the outer sleeve 50.
The locking means of the package 150 also includes a release button 30, cut away 14, node 16, extension panels 4, 8, and extension 106. After the slide card 100 is placed within the outer sleeve 50, the extension 106 extends past the opening 14 of the sleeve 50, springs up into the opening 14, and is biased against the node 16. Accordingly, if a user attempts to remove the slide card 100 from the sleeve 50, the extension 106 slides up along the opening 14 to prevent the slide card 100 from being removed from the sleeve 50. In order to deactivate the sliding movement of the extension 106 along the opening 14, the user pushes the release button 30 such that the extension 106 is pushed against the node 16 and below the opening 14, wherein the extension 106 is prevented from sliding through the opening 14. As shown in FIG. 5, the extension 106 is caught and retained by the extension panels 4 and 8.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,893 to Karow discloses an improvement over the above-described Johnstone package. In particular, Karow states the locking means disclosed by Johnstone et al. is susceptible to unintentional or accidental release, thereby rendering the package vulnerable to the efforts of children to gain access to the contents of the package. Karow states the improvement requires making the area of the node 16 slightly larger than the area of the release button 30.
As shown in FIG. 1, the Karow package has an outer sleeve 2 that includes extension panels 4 and 8, a glue area 6, side panels 10, 18 and 26, cut away areas 12 and 14, a node 16, legs 17, side panels 20 and 24, cut outs 21 and 28, end flaps 22 and 32, and a release button 30 formed within the side panel 26. The legs 17 are elongations in the cut away area 14 and are designed to prevent the entire length of the node 16 from deflecting wherein only the area of the node 16 between the legs 17 will deflect.
Karow explains that the improvement over the Johnstone et al. package described above resides in the feature wherein the area of the node 16 between the legs 17 is structured to be slightly larger than the size of the release button 30, which causes the node 16 to deflect only when the release button 30 is pressed. However, the Karow package is still susceptible to unintentional or accidental release so long as enough pressure is applied to the release button 30 so as to disengage the extension 106. Otherwise, the Karow package is substantially identical to the Johnstone et al. package and a description of the Karow package is omitted herefrom to avoid redundancy.
In yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,636 to Jones discloses a unit dose packaging system that has a release feature identical to those of the Johnstone and Karow. Jones further includes structural panels 12a, 12b, and 14 which reduce the deformation of the side panels to release the locking mechanism, as may be achieved when the sides of the sleeve are squeezed. See FIG. 3. The structural panels 12a, 12b, and 14 form a false bottom that strengthens the package. Moreover, Jones includes a plastic film strip 26 that is adhered along the edges of panels 5, 7, and 15 and acts as a reinforcement of the edges of the outer sleeve 1 to prevent tear propagation. See FIG. 6.